Review: Callaway Rogue ST TD S
About the tester:
Swing speed on a normal golf course swing is right at about 112mph, with ball speeds ranging in the low 160s, peaking at about 165. These are the speeds with my Cobra LTDx LS setup. This review was done with 2 rounds on a golf course hitting the Cobra, the Epic Speed TD LS, and the Rogue ST TD-S as well as trackman numbers. On course testing was done with Callaway Chromesoft X LS golf balls, and Trackman numbers were with Prov1 RCT golf balls. All with the same Mitsubishi Golf Diamana PD 60TX in an All-Fit Adapter.
“Im not interested in reading this entire review” morale of the story:
For anybody who enjoyed last years Epic Speed TD LS (TDLS) you are going to want to pick one of these up. If you enjoyed the shape of the TDLS you’ll be right at home with the new one. The same confident muted sound that you got from the TDLS is also going to ring similar in the new Rogue ST TD-S (STTDS). Spin numbers were incredibly controllable, and this head is really easy to shape the ball off the tee as well. The matte-finish, pear shaped, smaller head gives a more confident look behind the ball for those who enjoy that feeling, and the deeper face allows tons of control on mishits low or high on the face.
Performance wise, it did everything I was looking for. It added just a small amount of spin compared to my Cobra, but kept around the same launch numbers which for me was a big win. At about 2000 spin and 13 degrees of launch, resulted in about 10 extra yards of carry thanks to an additional 2 mph of ball speed compared to the Cobra or the Epic Speed.
The face is really fast out of the middle, and while mis-hits are controlled very well you will know audibly when you’ve missed the center. As a tour truck only product, if you are lucky enough to get your hands on one, I’d definitely grab it right away and get it in the bag. Especially if this is the kind of driver shape and size that you like to look at, which has become more rare with the current retail offerings.
Looks:
I absolutely loved the look of the TDLS from last year and when evaluating drivers for this upcoming season with the new launches I took some drivers out of contention immediately. What was left was the Stealth Plus and the Cobra LTDxLS to battle it out with my TDLS. The Cobra eventually won out, giving me a little extra ball speed and a little bit more roll, and even as a 460cc head, its incredibly appealing. Enter the ST TD-S.
At address the face of the driver lines up nice and square, there’s no clear visual bias open or closed. It’s a very appealing look from address with the matte finish blending the paintjob together with no distracting lines. I do wish all manufactures would get rid of the edge graphics that they all seem to be adding... but its not terrible on this one. The top line sits very straight with no “bubble” effect that you see on some larger drivers. I like that it’s a matte finish with a muted design that fades solid black back into a little bit of a carbon peak-a-boo. The face is “black” but really more of a charcoal. It’s a tad darker than the retail heads, which make sense because I’m sure that was tour feedback. The look of the driver behind the ball is a great setup. The Cally chevron is back for a small alignment aid. When you sit it down at the ball its also very neutral in the hands. Doesn’t appear extremely flat or upright, the loft sleeve adapter does the work there. It’s a very deep face, which again I enjoy, very confidence inspiring.
I will show tests later, I ended up lofting the driver up a little bit, which helped to give me a slightly closed face at address which I prefer to mitigate a right miss.
Sound and Feel:
The sound on this is… phenomenal. Its got a nice low thud to it, while still having a small crack off the face so you absolutely have no doubt when you’ve piped one. Its instant feedback. Its very very similar to the sound that came off the old LTD Pro and the Epic Speed TDLS of last year. Much more pleasing for my ears than the louder cracks of something like a Ping G425 or the retail Rogue ST series. Think wooden bat contact vs. composite bat contact.
The feel off the face is actually a little soft. It doesn't feel like you are ripping through any sound barriers, or hitting a rock. Combined with a higher end premium ball, I play the 2022 Chromesoft X or XLS, it feels solid. Soft may not be the best word, but it feels like its rebounding. Almost like you can feel the ball compressing in and then launching off of the face vs. feeling like your just kinda kicking the ball off the tee.
Performance:
Last winter I went through a decent swing change. This swing change drastically lowered my spin, and also shifted me into a softer handled golf shaft in the Diamana PD to gain some speed. I mention that because these changes have required me to try and get the ball launching higher. Which some may say that getting an 8.5* (at 7.7*) lower spin head may not be the solution. But, lets take a look at what Trackman says using my PD in each head.
Trackman:
I hit 5 shots with each driver 2 times and then out of those ten I took (in rank) the 4-7 shots to keep 5 shots per head, an eliminating the “best” and the “worst” which is how I usually evaluate a new setup. I hit the Cobra in my gamer configuration, a 9* head @ 10.5* and hit both Callaways in what I found to be the best configuration for my needs. The Rogue ST head is 7.7* on the face and I set my All-Fit to +.75 which we can call 8.5* slightly closed. The Epic Speed is 8.5* on the face also slightly closed.
Here are the averages for each, I was swinging in “golf course” mode thinking fairways:
Epic Speed TDLS: SS: 110mph, BS: 160.7 mph, LA: 12.1, Spin: 1900rpm, Carry: 264.9 yds
Cobra: SS: 111mph, BS: 159.5 mph, LA: 12.8, Spin: 1700rpm, Carry: 268.9 yds
Rogue ST TD-S: 113mph, BS: 162.5 mph, LA: 13.1, Spin: 1950rpm, Carry: 279.2 yds
You’ll notice an increase in swing speed for the Rogue ST. This wasn’t by design. Call it marketing, call it engineering, but the ST is incredibly easy to swing. It does make sense being a small head... ya know aerodynamics and stuff. I had the trackman screen turned off while testing, so I wasn’t aware of these results until I was done. After I finished up the 10 shots with each, I checked out the data and was very pleased with the results. I have been missing the shape of my Epic Speed but the numbers that I have gotten from the Cobra just were too good to pass up.
On Course:
The ST married the results that I was looking for. It gave me back a little bit of spin and maintained about the same launch window that I’ve seen from my Cobra, which was confirmed with my rounds on course. The added benefit of the ST is that its much more workable than the Cobra. You can actually play with spin a little bit and hit some different shapes which is not something that I can say is the Cobra’s strong suit. The Cobra was put in my bag because it has a consistent shot shape, and goes far. But I do have to keep it in the bag on lots of shorter tees, because I don’t trust it to move the ball. I end up moving to a 3 wood or a Hybrid.
The ST however, at my club which only truly has 4 holes where you need a full out driver, was wonderful to use. I was able to hit a nice cut, and a nice draw. A 20 yard hook around a corner, and a high spinny slice around another. It was fun to play with. And when I needed it and put the proper swing on it...it took dead aim down the center of the fairway. It’s a very versatile driver similar to my Epic Speed TDLS from last year. I also will throw it out there again that I enjoy the matte finish to the top, which is another reason I liked the Cobra. No shine during later rounds in the day. I like the looks of this one even better without any “topline” design.
Final Thoughts
With how easy it feels to swing, the ball speeds produced, and the launch window I find it in, my immediate reaction is to say that its going in the bag. However... I need to give my bag some respect and give it a little bit more testing. One things for certain, it’s a great improvement to my Epic Speed TDLS and I can officially consider that head rested, and no longer on deck. The look is extremely appealing, the sound gives you confidence off the face without annoying your ears, and the performance speaks for itself. Not to mention there is 100% without a doubt the cool factor of knowing that this product was made for the boys on Tour... and yes the ego enjoys that small satisfaction. If you are looking to grab one... they’re are plenty available in the aftermarket arena for a great price.
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